Forbidden Nightmare

Chapter 78: Audience Hall
"Boom!"

Several soldiers put down their war hammers. The handle and head of the heavy blunt weapon were nearly 1.8 meters long, which was very suitable for a giant like Fariano to use. But when used by Li Nanke, it felt like a small horse pulling a big cart.

Archbishop Colonna watched coldly. If the punitive officer had not said anything, this priceless hammer would have been recycled by the Holy Order and consumed internally.

However, it seems that both of them are experts in using swords, and they are definitely not used to using war hammers. Moreover, this war hammer is extremely heavy, and the weight is so amazing that it is not certain whether they can even swing it.

Colonna pondered to himself, wondering if he could think of some way to redeem the warhammer.

Renault said, "Edward, this is your trophy. I only use the sword."

Li Nanke nodded, and under the gaze of everyone, he gripped the thick hammer handle with both hands, exhaled, and exerted force.

A large amount of source energy from killing enemies flows into the main substance "Blood Moon".

[Main Element: Blood Moon]

[Level: Level 5 (69%) → Level 7 (22%)]

With the further improvement of the main blood moon, his physical strength and intensity also reached a new level.

Li Nanke actually grasped the handle of the hammer and lifted up the entire war hammer, then he swung it hard, causing this killing weapon to create a whistling gust of wind.

Several soldiers nearby subconsciously stepped back.

The giant warhammer's barbed hammer head and extremely astonishing weight bring a full sense of oppression. If the enemy is hit head-on by the warhammer, it will definitely be smashed into a pool of meat paste.

"This weapon is good."

Li Nanke flipped his wrist and the bloody hammer disappeared.

"Archbishop, our Holy Order is really generous. They gave us such a good weapon right away... Please continue to lead the way."

Seeing this, Colonna had a blank expression on his face, knowing that there was probably no chance of redeeming the Warhammer.

The cathedral has many halls and corridors, but there are far fewer people inside than expected.

Except for a few punitive troops for guarding, most of them are clergy of the Holy Synod.

Colonna took the two men to a side hall to rest and wait, then left alone, apparently to report the results of the trial.

Renault sat on the bench. Seeing that no one was around, he said seriously, "Edward, they can't see it, but I know that the war hammer is still too heavy for you. In actual combat, you should continue to use the sword to fully display your strength."

Li Nanke nodded without arguing. Although it was still a bit difficult for him to use the warhammer now, he would soon be able to fully master this fierce weapon.

Renault leaned in and whispered, "When do we act?"

"The ordinary clergy of the Holy Synod only know some low-level spells and prayers. They can't pose much threat to us. Even Archbishop Colonna is not a big obstacle to us."

"The only truly powerful people in the church, besides the Archbishop of Gravedigger, are the other judges of the Punishment Army. However, these people usually perform their duties. As long as we act quickly enough, we may be able to complete our goal before they arrive."

Renault returned to the Holy Order for his sister Anya. Now that he has successfully returned to the Holy Order with the help of Li Nanke, his plan is half completed.

Li Nanke raised his eyebrows: "Isn't the Holy King himself powerful?"

"Edward, you want to..." Renault was shocked and couldn't help but said, "This is impossible. Although the Holy King is not in good condition and sleeps most of the time, the judges of the Punishment Army usually protect the Holy King."

Li Nanke continued: "Renault, don't you have such thoughts?"

"Or you did, but you only thought about Anya, because you thought that just helping Anya get rid of it would likely cost you your life."

"That's why you can't consider anything else. That's why you didn't turn your attention to the Holy King, even though you knew that Anya's suffering was caused by the Holy King."

Renault was silent for a moment. Yes, he never thought he could walk out alive when he returned to the Holy Society.

His goal is to help Anya get free, but the underground prison cell is heavily guarded. If he wants to contact Anya, he will definitely alert the defending punitive troops.

Even if he could help Anya escape, he would not be able to survive the endless encirclement of the Punishment Army.

Li Nanke continued, "You used to be a high-ranking member of the Holy Order Punishment Army and you know a lot of the Holy Order's secrets. I heard you say before that there seems to be a way to resist foreign enemies that can seal off the entire cathedral. Not only the enemies, but even the soldiers of the Punishment Army outside can't get in?"

Renault shook his head and said dejectedly, "That is a large-scale spell prayer. This prayer is solidified on the walls and gates outside the church. I don't know who has the key to activate the prayer, but I know it's not in the hands of the Holy King. After all, he sleeps most of the time."

Li Nanke pondered and said, "Who is the most loyal to the Holy King in the Holy Society?"

Renault said without hesitation: "The Archbishop of Gravedigger, he is not only the most loyal, but also the most powerful."

"If Fariano is the strongest person in the Punishment Army, then the Archbishop of Grave Diggers is the most powerful person in the entire Holy Order. He possesses extremely terrifying prayer power and can even resurrect the dead and use it for his own purposes."

"Edward, do you suspect that the key is in the hands of the Archbishop of Gravedigger? If so, that would be the worst news for me."

Renault's meaning was very clear. Both of them had to use all their skills to deal with Fariano, and finally used the terrain to defeat the enemy.

But the Archbishop of Gravedigger was more powerful than Fariano, and the two of them alone could not defeat the enemy.

Li Nanke said: "Don't jump to conclusions yet. Fariano is much stronger than us, and Colonna played dirty tricks on us during the trial, but we still won."

"Of course this is not the point. The point is that without the Holy King's instruction, would we have faced this unfair trial? Would Colonna have done something shady? The Holy King never intended to let you return to the Holy Council from the beginning."

"Now that we have killed Fariano, no one expected it. Even if I don't want to deal with the Holy King, there is no guarantee that the Holy King will not tear his face apart... Let's be ready to take action at any time."

Hearing this, Renault didn't say anything more.

The two are comrades fighting side by side. Li Nanke has already told him through repeated practical actions that as long as they trust each other, they will not make mistakes.

Soon after, Colonna returned and led the two to the audience hall.

"The Holy King is very satisfied with your performance. You have proved your piety through the trial and are now qualified to meet the Holy King."

Entering the deepest part of the cathedral, several people passed through a heavy iron door and entered the magnificent audience hall.

The hall was dimly lit, and a few beams of afterglow from the setting sun shone through the stained-glass windows high up, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.

At the end of the hall, a giant was twisted and fixed on a thick stone pillar. It seemed to have been dead for a long time, but its expression still retained the pain before death. Its body was wrapped in dense thorns, and these blood-red thorns penetrated deeply into its flesh and blood, as if fusing the two into one.

That is the first divine grace - the Holy Father of Thorns!
The overgrown thorns spread to the throne at the feet of the giant, on which sat a skinny figure wearing a crown of thorns and a robe with a blood-red thorn pattern.

The thorns spread to his hands, feet and limbs, firmly fixing him to the throne, allowing him to sit on the throne forever and hold the power of the Holy King.

Four figures in full armor guarded both sides of the throne. They stood still like sculptures, the blades in their hands flashing cold light, and the helmets on their heads were engraved with painful faces, showing their identities as judges.

Archbishop Colonna led Renault and Li Nanke slowly forward. Each step they took on the hard marble floor made a crisp echo. The sound echoed in the empty hall, seeming particularly depressing, as if even breathing became painful and distressing.

Li Nanke glanced at the throne and his heart sank.

The Holy King himself does not seem to be very powerful, and he is fixed on the throne, so it does not seem to be too difficult to kill him.

But if one wants to complete the final node, the four judges under the throne are a hurdle that cannot be avoided.

Fariano is the most powerful among the judges, but these four together are far more powerful than Fariano alone.

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Nanke's mind.

(End of this chapter)